Where to stay & what to see in Chamonix?

hi. I stayed at the le morgane. it was very nice and near the lift to Aiguille du midi (where you will see incredible views of the alps--including mont blanc). that is a must. if you have only one day I would suggest sticking to aiguille du midi and walking in town --- you could also see the glacier if you have time. read ricks France guide book---it has great information. good luck.

It depends on what time of year you'll be there. In summer and good weather, "see it all" could include the gondolas and some hiking. The town itself isn't much. If the weather is bad, don't bother. Annecy would be a good native because it is more picturesque. It just doesn't have the gondolas to take you to amazing views that you would have in Chamonix and nice weather.

The vistas from above are tremendous. Go up if a clear day on gondola. Have lunch at mid stop if clear. Be amazed at the beauty of the Alps. then have a wonderful dinner in the village. If winter the horse and sleighs go thru the village very romantic and memorable.
We were there July 2009 and it snowed. We enjoyed our 4 night stay anyway.

When we were there, we just Chamonix as a day trip from Annecy. We liked it and will probably stay there next time, not that we did not like Annecy too. The day we were there the gondolas were in the clouds. We decided to go on the rack railroad up to the Mer de Glace. It was touch and go whether there would be visibility up there, but they had a webcam that showed it clear at least part of the time. We were glad we went, this was a pretty fun sight and I got some great pictures. Part of the reason you want to stat in Chamonix is to get an early enough start before things cloud up. I thought the town itself was nice, too.

It's a cute place. Hope you have clear weather for the ride up. It's amazing at the top.